Bicycle spring-frame.



PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

v No. 896,078.

C(BLANKENHEIM. BICYCLE SPRING FRAME.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 9, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. amewto'c akl'omwl o PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

C. BLANKENHEIM.

BICYCLE SPRING FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Siremugs FICE.

CHARLES BLANKENHEIM, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BICYCLE SPRING-FRAME Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 9, 1908. Serial No. 409,985.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES BLANKEN- HEIM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycle Spring Frames; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. j

This invention relates to velocipedes and especially to that type of vehicles known in the art as motor bicycles. While the device is especially adaptable for this class of vehicles,-it may be utilized with other types and Iwish it so understood.

Heretofore in devices of this character, the rider of the machine has been protected by being seated upon a spring seat or the rear fork braces are connected together by a spring tube and the front forks are resiliently connected with the fork head and the frame.

As before stated this protects the rider but It is the object of my invention to obviate these difliculties and to provide a machine of this, character which may be had at a reasonable cost' and which will have suflicient strength to withstand the strain to which such a device is subjected.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section, taken on line ac9c of Fig. 2.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1, represents a bicycle frame which is composed of the upper horizontal tube 2, the head 3, the rear fork stays 4, saddle post tube 5, the rear forks 6, and the diagonal tube7 from the head to the rear forks. The diagonal tube and the saddle post tube 5 are in this instance integral, and are connected by a U, 8. Parallel with thehorizontal tube 2 and connecting the tubes 5 and 7 is a motor supporting tube and brace rack 9. All these parts, together with the spring fork- 10 are common and need no further description, as is also the. crank hanger 11. A suitable motor 12 is also carried by the frame in the U formed by the parts 5, 7 and 8 and is clamped to the bracing bar 9 by a clamping device 13. The motor is also-provided with provided with a bushing 21, slotted in its side face as at 22 to correspond with the slot in the tube 18. Aclamping member 23 is secured aroundthe lower end of the'tube so that it may work in conjunction with the slotted tube to compensate for any wear thereon.-

. The rear forks Gare open at their ends andv are also slotted as are the tubes 18 to allow a clamping member 24 -to secure an L-shaped post 25 which has its L-end depending into a socket 26 formed in the" cup member 27. This cu member has a projecting tube 28 provide with a bushing 29, both of which are slotted and provided With a clamping member 30 to compensate for any wear thereon. A spring 31 is secured in the bottomof the tube28 and acts in the capacity of a cushion for any upward movement or jolt on the frame. Clamped to the axle 32 of the rear wheel 33 is a supportingmember 34 having its ends 35 and 36 reciprocally mounted in the tubes 18 and 28 respectively. The ends of this supporting member bear against the springs 20 and 31 and tend to hold the wheel in the position shown in Fig. 1. As the on member 27 has no adjusting screw for regulating the tension of the spring I rovide a set screw 37 which permits of the adjustment of the cup member upon the L post 25. In this mannerI am enabled to obtain the required tension on both springs and thus take up any shock which is received.

At the center of the su porting member 34,

I provide an elongated s ot in which the axle 32 is seated and surround the axle with the eye of a screw bolt, so that I may adjustthe chain from the motor or from the crank sprocket. While the connection of the axle I 32 with the supporting member 34 is suflicient to keep it in proper position within the tubes, I may make these tubes square and Patented Aug. 18, 1908. I

square the ends of the su porting members so that any turning will e impossible. A suitable connecting tube 38 is bridged between the ends of the rear forks and the rear cured thereto, and comprising in part rear forks and fork stays, of a tube connected to each fork stay on either side of the driving wheel, a brace connection from the fork stays to the tubes, aresilient connection between the driving wheel and the tubes, and a bridge piece connecting the tubes. 1

2. In a self propelled vehicle, the combination witha driving wheel, of a frame secured thereto, a motor, a connection between the motor and the driving wheel, a pair of tubes carried by the frame, one on either side of the wheel, a resilient connectionbetween the driving wheel and the tube, an auxiliary pair of tubes, a resilient connection between the driving wheel and said auxiliary pair of tubes and means for adjustably supporting said auxiliary pair of tubes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. 1

' CHARLES BLANKENHEIM. Witnesses;

NICHOLAS J. ScHMrrz,

ADAM HIPPCHEN. 

